100 Years

 

“Remember the ladies.”  Abigail Adams famously wrote to her husband.

Well.  Gonna burst some bubbles here, but the men-folk that were working hard writing a new constitution when she wrote that had no intention of “remembering the ladies.”

And so the work began.

With more defeats then victories is seems like, the 19^th Amendment extending the voting power to women was not passed until June 4, 1919.  Then there was more hard work with seemingly more setbacks then victories to get it fully ratified. 

That did not happen until August 18, 1920.

That was (nearly) a hundred years ago.  That is 1,200 months.  Not factoring in leap years, that is 36,500 days.

To put things more in perspective, the women that started the suffrage movement did not live to see the conclusion.  Those that did live to see the conclusion had not been born yet when it started.  “We were not ‘given’ anything” any of them would likely snap.  “We went out and TOOK it.”

 

36,500 days.  1,200 months.  One hundred years later and we’re still not getting paid fairly.  We’re still fighting to have autonomy over our own bodies.  Women of all color and creeds are still facing harassment, domestic abuse and poverty with little resources.  Even more disgustingly, we’re Still getting blamed in some way when we’re attacked.

One hundred years…and the battle still rages.  It is no wonder that some are exhausted and at the end of their energy.  Which is why, for today at least, I am taking some time to quietly reflect on these stock photos.  These women, many never named, are not just why I can vote.  I can now also own property.  I can sign contracts and open my own bank accounts without a male co-signer.  For all their flawed and cringe worthy racist views, they are why I, a century later, can live the life that I have.

go raibh maith agat, ladies.

 

Thank you.

 

The battle will resume tomorrow.

 

"Celebrate Youth!"

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvJ1g-gImaQ

This month I am including the link to a music video.  If I was a video producer (and had the right permissions, of course) I would find it interesting to overlap this song from the 80’s with images of the youth of today.

March for our Lives was done by high schoolers.  Climate activist Greta Thornburg is not yet 18. The camps at Standing Rock were heavily youth organized.  The Black Lives Matter movement has a high element of young people. 

This is what we should be celebrating: youth caring enough about the world around them to get involved. We should be encouraging that engagement –even enabling.  Not accusing them of just trying to get out of school for a day.  Or online lessons as the current state of affairs may dictate.  (Dang virus)

Full disclosure, of course: I am not a parent and feel I would not make a very good one…but isn’t what we work our collective butts off for?  So our kids can have it easier than we did?

So, “Celebrate Youth!”

And “Teach them right.”

(for lyrics to song, go here:   https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=lyrics+to+celebrate+youth+rick+springfield)

Still locked down...

So.  When you barely leave the apartment for two months (and still counting) due to a stupid virus that refuses to go away, you quickly run out of things to say.

So I'll just share a photo instead.  Some time ago, I started a thread on my Facebook page where I intended to post photos of all the remarkable women in our history.  I quickly learned that if I intended to include all the remarkable women, that list would be unending!  Here is but one of them. 

Wilma Mankiller: Native activist and first woman principle chief of the Cherokee tribe. I believe she was also a runner up with another phenomenal women; Harriet Tubman, to have her image placed on the new $20 bill that the current administration hasn't bothered to getting around to printing.

Stay healthy my few readers!  Hang in there, better days are ahead!

J.

Lock Down

     Think of this as a worldwide social experiment to show once and for all how connected we all are.  We are now seeing first hand just how well – or poorly – society functions when we all must stay six to eight feet apart from each other.

     There are already all sorts of experiments demonstrating that times of heightened stress (or even just uncertainty) are the times that we seek out others to be with the most.  And, well.  See above regarding needing to keep a certain amount of physical distance between ourselves and everybody else for an undefined length of time.

     I would rather refer to this current social practice as “physical” distancing, not “social” distancing.  To paraphrase what I recently heard a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders say:  You can still have that conversation with your neighbor.  It will do wonders for that anxiety.  Just don’t be right up in each other’s’ faces when you do so.

     Oh, sure.  There is Face Book.  E-Mail. Face time things like Zoom and such.  Even a two word text:  “I’m bored” is a way of reaching out.  But I am a little anti-tech, much to the amusement/ chagrin of my family.  I’m much more intrigued, inspired even, by the old school ways people are using to stay connected.  An old custom in Italy is being revitalized.  People are lowering food baskets from their balconies.  On its way down (and presumably back up again) neighbors are donating what they can or taking what they may need.  When not doing that, they are singing from their balconies to entertain each other.

     In this country, and surely elsewhere, those that used to drive tourists around in horse drawn rides are now hitching up their animals to take supplies to area folks in need.  This also gives the opportunity for both human and horse to get out and get a little exercise.  Bonus.

     But it is not just physical health we need to be mindful of.  How are you looking after your mental health in these strange times? 

     My employer finally managed to get at least some of us set up to work from home.  Not having to worry about the when or where of my next paycheck is amazingly wonderful. But, full disclosure: the days are starting to run together a bit.  I have two crochet projects and a pitch to put together to another book publisher.  

     Somehow, though, I am having a hard time staying motivated to do those things.  Yesterday was the first time I left the apartment grounds in a week.  My hands are raw from all the washing.  I have had to remind myself to take a shower.  It feels like it will always be like this: dry hands. Having things delivered as much as possible.  The boredom of long weekends without much to do besides clean.  My cat is the most wonderful cat ever, but she’s not much of a conversationalist.  

     It feels like it will go on like this forever – but it won’t.  Experts are saying that what we’re doing now is working.  We just got to keep it up for a while yet to make sure it keeps working.  There is an end date, but it is just not clear when it will be.  

     In the meantime, I’ll look out at the springtime trees blooming.  Count the days until it will be time to fill the hummingbird feeder, continue to have one-sided talks with my fur child and rely on Facebook, texts and emails to keep up with family until we can hang out in person.  I’ll drag out yarn and hook – and maybe experiment with lowering a basket of flowers to my neighbor below me. :)

What about you?